Duplex steam-engine



(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 1.

' E. HILL.

DUPLEX STEAM ENGINE. No. 448,429. Patented Mar. 17, 1891.

(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 2. E. HILL.

DUPLEX STEAM ENGINE. No. 448,429. Patented Mar. 17, 1891.

Q I l (No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 3.

E. HILL.

DUPLEX STEAM ENGINE. No. 448,429. Patented Mar. 17, 1891.

(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 4. E. .HILL.

DUPLEX STEAM ENGINE. No 448,429. Patented Mar. 17, 1891.

-(N0 Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 5.

E. HILL.

DUPLEX STEAM ENGINE.

No. 448,429. Patented Mar. 17, 1891.

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EBENEZER HILL, OF SOUTH NORVVALK, CONNECTICUT.

DUPLEX STEAM-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 448,429, dated March 17', 1891.

Application filed July 26, 1890.

T0 at whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EBENEZER HILL, of South Norwalk, in the county of Fairiield and State of Connecticut, have invented new Improvements in Duplex Steam-Engines; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in-

Figure 1, a plan view of a double engine embodying this invention and as applied to an air-compressor; Fig. 2, a side view of the same; Fig. 3, an end view of the same; Fig. 4, a sectional top view, portions omitted for the clear illustration of the invention; Fig. 5, a transverse section through the driving-shaft at the inside of one-of the cranks, showing the two cranks and the connecting-link; Fig.6, a detailed view of the link-connection. Fig. 7 represents a face view of the two cranks, showing the arrangement of the link-pins, whereby while revolving in the same plane they may pass each other.

This invention relates to an improvement in duplex or double steam-engines, with special reference to .the operation of air-compressors.

The objects of the invention are, first, to relieve the engine from great strains heretofore resulting in the employment of duplex or double steam-engines; second, great compactness, whereby a minimum amount of space may be employed for a maximum power, and, third, a construction which will permit each engine or part to produce the highest pressure should the other be disabled; and the invention consists in the construction as hereinafter described, and particularly re cited in the claims.

In the illustration, A represents the cylinder of one engine, and B the cylinder of the other engine, the two represented as of equal size; but they may be of different sizes, it desirable, so as to work in the well-known manner of compound engines. respectively provided with pistons C D, and from these pistons the piston-rods, respectively, E and F, extend in the same direction and are connected, respectively, to cross heads G H.

The cylinders are $erla1No.360,015. (No model.)

I represents the shaft of the first engine and J the shaft of the second engine. These are arranged in a line between the cylinders and the cross-heads in suitable bearings K and in axial line with each other. The shaft I is provided with two cranks, one so as to present the crank-pin L upon the outer end of the shaft and the other so as to present the crank-pin M upon the inner end of the shaft. The other shaft J is provided with like cranks, N representing the outer pin and O the inner crank-pin. The crank-pins are connected to the respective cross heads by connecting-rods P, the connection from each of the pair of cranks being to the corresponding ends of the cross-head and in the usual manner for connecting back-acting engines; in fact, as thus far described, each of the engines is a common and well-known construction of engine, such as used for air-compressors.

To combine these two independentengines so as to form a duplex or double engine, the two cranks are connected by a link R. To make this connection, the one crank-pin M is provided with a stud S, projecting therefrom and parallel with the axis, and the other crank-pin O is provided with a like stud T, the link It connected to these two studs S T so as to firmly couple the two cranks and so that the two engines will work together as one double or duplex engine. The link-connection places one engine a little in advance of the other, so that both engines can never reach the deadcenters at the same time.

Duplex engines which are joined directly through their crank-pins are liable to breakage at such points, and any rigid connection between two engines is liable to accidental strains, in addition to that of transmitting the power, as from unequal bearings in journal-boxes, &c. By connecting the two engines with a drag-link, as I have described, the shaft of each engine is supported independent of the other, substantially as in single engines, the hearings being entirely independent.

The link-connections I make of a ball-and socket character, as represented in the detached view, Fig. 6, and also seen in broken 7 lines, Fig. 4-that is, the studs are of spherical shape and the hearings in the link are of corresponding shape, which gives to the con nection a very great flexibility to adapt it to possible Variations in the alignment.

In the illustration, (1. represents an initial air-cylinder, the piston-rod b of which is connected to the cross-head ll of the cylinder B, so as to receive direct action therefrom. This air-compressing cylinder a is double-acting.

(1 represents a single-acting secondary or high-pressure cylinder: 6, the piston, which is in connection with the cross-head H in the opposite direction from that of the piston a.

f represents the aircompressing cylinderin connection with the cross-head G of the cylinder A by means of a piston-rod. g and h represent the secondary or high-pressure cylder, the piston i of which is connected with the cross-head G upon the side opposite to that of the connection 6 of the other highpre'ssure cylinder d.

I do not illustrate the details of construction of these cylinders or of the steam-engine, for the reason that they are of known construction and in which the details constitute no part of my present invention, it being understood that the air-compressing cylinders are of the compound character, in which the air from the primary cylinder-is delivered to the secondary or high pressure cylinder, thence carried to the receiver; or the compressing apparatus may work so that the cylinder a will make the first compression and the air therefrom be delivered to the cylinder f, where it will be further compressed, thence delivered to the cylinder 7t forfurther compression, and again to the cylinder cl for the final or highest pressure, this being the construction illustrated in Figs 1 and 2, but not necessary to be particularly described, as such connections constitute no part of the present invention. Under this arrangement each engine is fully loaded by the air-compressing pistons connected direct to each engine piston-rod, so that the actual force which is transferred through the drag-link from one engine to the other is the trifling inequalities between the power and its application at different parts of the revolution that is to say, the cylinder at is attached to one engine and the cylinderfis attached to the other engine and takes power in its operation equal to the cylinder at. The cylinders d and h are single-acting cylinders and both together are intended to take power equal to the cylinders a or f, either one of said cylinders cl or it designed to take onehalf as much power as the cylinders a orf. Hence both engines are equally loaded. If one engine is broken down, the other engine can be run, and one cylinder, either (Z or it, can then produce air of the highest pressure.

The crank-pins themselves are arranged to run so that if separate they may escape each other in order to bring the engines as close together as possible; The drag-link studs which project from the crank-pins are in the same revolving plane, and in order that either engine may run while the other stands, as by the removal of the link, the said studs are arranged one nearer the center than the other, as represented in Fig. 7, and just so that the studs may escape each other when the link is removed, and so that each engine may run independent of the other without the linkstuds coming in contact.

I do not Wish to be understood as claiming, broadly, a drag-link applied to the cranks of two steam-engines, as such, I am aware, is not new.

I claim 1. A steam-engine composed of two independent engines arranged side by side, the shafts of the two engines being in axial line the one with the other, the adjacent ends of the said shafts each provided with a crank, and each crank-pin constructed with a stud projecting from its end, the said studs of spherical shape, combined with a link constructed with bearings corresponding to and connecting the said spherical-shaped studs, substantially as described.

2. A steam-engine composed of two organized engines arranged side by side, the driving-shafts of the two engines being in axial line the one with the other, the adjacent ends of the shafts provided each with a crank, and the crank-pins each constructed with a stud projecting from its outer end, the said two studs traveling with the cranks and in the same plane with each other, one of said studs arranged nearer the center of motion than the other to at least the extent of the diameter of one of the studs, and a link connecting the said two studs, but removable therefrom, substantially as described.

EBENEZER HILL;

Witnesses:

CHAs. J. HILL, J AOOB M LAYTON. 

